Method of and apparatus for finishing metal blanks



J. LAMOND March 27, 1934.

Filed Aug. 25, 1933 INVENTOR Patented Mar. 27, 1934 UlTED srss PATENT FFIE John Lamond, Allison Park, Pa, assignor to Pittsburgh Pipe & Coupling Company, Allison Park, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application August 25,

6 Claims.

My invention relates to a method of and apparatus for finishing metal blanks, and is hereinafter described as employed in connection ,with short tubular blanks, such as pipe coupling blanks,

but it will be understood that it may be employed in the smoothing, cleaning and finishing of other articles, whether solid or tubular.

One object of my invention is to provide a means for removing fiash? from coupling blanks or the like as they come from the forming dies, and to smooth the surfaces thereof, to remove scale therefrom, and to give a smooth finish thereto.

One form of apparatus for practising my invention is shown in the accompanying drawing wherein Figure 1 is a side elevational View; Fig. 2 is a plan View; Fig. 3 is a view, on an enlarged scale, taken on the line III-III of Fig. l, and Fig. 4 is a partial sectional view or" one of the rolls.

The invention has been designed for use particularly in performing finishing operations on forged articles, as above set-forth, but is equally applicable in the treatment of castings and other articles of cylindrical form which may require smoothing and polishing.

As shown in the accompanying drawing, the apparatus receives pipe coupling blanks 5 from a chute 6 that in turn receives the blanks from a forging machine or other source of supply. A bed plate or frame '7 supports a pair of metal rollers 8 and 9 whose ends are journalled in suitable bearings.

The roll 8 is driven by an electric motor 10 or other suitable power means, through a driving chain 11 which passes around suitable sprockets on the motor shaft and the roll shaft, respective-- ly. The roll 8 has driving connection with the roll 9, through a sprocket chain 12, the chains being preferably of the silent type, because I prefer to drive the rolls at high speed.

The axes of the rolls are disposed in parallel vertical planes, but one of the rollspreferably the roll 8-is tilted slightly, so that at the left hand end thereof it is somewhat higher than the adjacent end of the roll 9, while at its other end, it is slightly lower than the roll 9. Of course, for most purposes, this tilt will be fairly slight compared to the length of the rolls. For example, the rolls may be 4 feet long, and the roll 8 at one end may be only about inch higher than the other roll, while at its other end, it may be only inch lower. The degree of inclination will, of course, determine the rate of travel of the 1933, Serial No. 686,757

blanks 5 from the entering end to the discharge end of the apparatus.

It will be seen that if the roll 8, as viewed in Fig. 3, is driven in a clockwise direction, the roll 9 will also be driven in a clockwise direction, and that the blank 5, by reason of the relative angularity of the rolls, will gradually be advanced from the chute 6 to the other end of the rolls, where it will be discharged.

The blank will be given a great many revolutions during its travel along the rolls, both because of the small diameter of the blank relative to the roll diameters, and because of the small angle of tilt given to the roll 8, although, as above indicated, the angle of tilt may be varied in accordance with the speed at which it is desired to advance the blank, and the number of revolutions to be given the same while it is passing along the rolls.

Guide bars 13 and 14 are mounted above and below the roll paths, in position to prevent vertical displacement of the blanks while they are passing along the rolls. These bars are preferably spaced apart a distance only slightly greater than the diameters of the blanks, and serve also as rubbing surfaces, to clean scale from the blank, and to impart a smooth finish thereto. The rolls 8 and 9, throughout the major portion of their length, are spaced apart a distance substantially equal to the diameter of the blank, and. it is within the contemplation of my invention that the rolls may be adjusted to suit blanks of various widths, and be angularly adjustable relative to one another.

The rolls are preferably tapered slightly at their receiving ends as indicated at 15 and may have hard steel collars 16, which are preferably knurled or roughened somewhat so that they will grip the blanks and initiate rotation thereof as the blanks are fed from the chute.

The blanks may be at approximately red heat, as they are received from chute 6, and the forging machines. During their travel along the rolls, they are rotated quite rapidly, especially if the rolls be given perhaps 1000 revolutions per minute. There will be considerable vibration of the blank 7 against the opposed surfaces of the bars 13 and 14 which will tend to loosen any scale which may be present. Also, the rolls will serve to true and smooth the surfaces of the blank, thereby eliminating scale.

Furthermore, the blanks will have considerable frictional engagement with the bars 13 and 15, and thereby be given a smoother polish than could be secured from the use of rolls alone.

Both rolls 8 and 9 may be tilted somewhat so that the blank will move through a downwardlyinclined path, thus facilitating the travel thereof. Also, the axes of the rolls could be parallel, if they were inclined somewhat, because the blank would then gradually move forward during r0tation thereof by the rolls.

I claim as my invention:-

1. The method of operating upon a circular article, which comprises moving it longitudinally of and between a pair of rolls which are spaced apart a distance approximately equal to the diameter of the article, and rotating the article and the said rolls during traveling movement of the article, and simultaneously causing the article to vibrate against another surface which extends longitudinally of the rolls.

2. The method of operating upon a circular article, which comprises moving it longitudinally of and between a pair of rolls which are spaced apart a distance approximately equal to the diameter of the article, rotating the article by the said rolls during traveling movement of the article, and simultaneously causing the article to vibrate between surfaces disposed at opposite sides of its path of travel and between the said rolls.

3. The method of operating upon a circular article, which comprises moving it longitudinally of and between a pair of rolls which are spaced apart a distance approximately equal to the diameter of the article and which are of great length relative to the article, and rotating the article and the said rolls during traveling movement of the article, and simultaneously causing the article to vibrate against another surface which extends longitudinally of the rolls.

4. Apparatus for operating upon metal blanks and the like, comprising a laterally-spaced pair of rolls, one of which is inclined relative to the other roll, guiding surfaces disposed at either side of the pass between the rolls, and extending in a direction generally parallel to the rolls, and means for driving said rolls, the space between the rolls being approximately equal to the diameter of the blanks to be operated upon, and the guiding surfaces being spaced apart a slightly greater distance than the greatest diameter of the blanks.

5. Apparatus for operating upon metal blanks and the like, comprising a laterally-spaced pair of rolls, one of which is inclined relative to the other roll, guiding surfaces disposed at either side of the pass between the rolls, and extending in a direction generally parallel to the rolls, and means for driving said rolls in the same direction, the space between the rolls being approximately equal to the diameter of the blanks to be operated upon, and the guiding surfaces being spaced apart a slightly greater distance than the greatest diameter of the blanks.

6. Apparatus for operating upon metal blanks and the like, comprising a laterally-spaced pair of rolls of substantially equal diameter, one of which is inclined relative to the other roll, guiding surfaces disposed at either side of the pass between the rolls, and extending in a direction generally parallel to the rolls, and means for driving said rolls, the space between the rolls being approximately equal to the diameter of the blanks to be operated upon, and the guiding surfaces being spaced apart a slightly greater. distance than the greatest diameter of the blanks.

JOHN LAMOND. 

